🇮🇩 Indonesia · regional forms across Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Kalimantan; a lighter soto ayam is also made in Singapore

SotoIndonesian spiced soup

Name: Soto (Indonesian spiced soup)
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indonesia
Ingredients: 700 g (1.5 lb) beef shank, in 4 cm / 1.5 in chunks; 400 g (14 oz) beef bones, marrow or knuckle bones; 2.5 litres (10 cups) water; 6 shallots, peeled; 5 cloves garlic; 4 candlenuts (kemiri), or macadamia nuts; 3 cm (1 in) fresh turmeric, or 1 tsp ground turmeric; 3 cm (1 in) fresh ginger; 1 tsp coriander seeds, dry-toasted; 1 tsp white peppercorns; 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised; 3 cm (1 in) galangal, bruised; 4 kaffir lime leaves; 2 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam), optional; 2 tbsp neutral oil; salt and a pinch of sugar, to taste; 100 g (3.5 oz) glass noodles (soun), soaked in hot water until soft; 150 g (5 oz) bean sprouts, blanched; 3 hard-boiled eggs, halved; 2 boiled potatoes, sliced and fried, or mashed into patties; celery leaves, spring onion and fried shallots, to finish; limes, sambal and kecap manis, at the table

Indonesia's family-named spiced soup: a turmeric-yellow, clear or coconut-milk broth with meat, served with rice, rice cake (lontong) or vermicelli and condiments such as sambal, lime and fried shallot.

Origin and history

Soto is first recorded on Java's north coast in the 19th century, as a broth with meat or offal. The historian Denys Lombard, cited by Indonesian media, credits Chinese immigrants with introducing it, the earliest versions using pork. In 2018 Indonesia's Tourism Ministry named it one of five national dishes, with rendang, nasi goreng, satay and gado-gado.

Make it at home

Makes: 6 servings
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Hands-on: 40 min

Ingredients

Metric US

700 g1.5 lb beef shank, in 4 cm / 1.5 in chunks
400 g14 oz beef bones, marrow or knuckle bones
2.5 litres10 cups water
6 shallots, peeled
5 cloves garlic
4 candlenuts (kemiri), or macadamia nuts
3 cm1 in fresh turmeric, or 1 tsp ground turmeric
3 cm1 in fresh ginger
1 tsp coriander seeds, dry-toasted
1 tsp white peppercorns
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
3 cm1 in galangal, bruised
4 kaffir lime leaves
2 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam), optional
2 tbsp neutral oil
salt and a pinch of sugar, to taste
100 g3.5 oz glass noodles (soun), soaked in hot water until soft
150 g5 oz bean sprouts, blanched
3 hard-boiled eggs, halved
2 boiled potatoes, sliced and fried, or mashed into patties
celery leaves, spring onion and fried shallots, to finish
limes, sambal and kecap manis, at the table

Method

1. Put the beef and bones in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the meat and the pot to get a clear broth.
2. Return the meat and bones to the pot with 2.5 litres (10 cups) of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then keep at a gentle simmer, skimming for the first 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, blend the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric, ginger, coriander and peppercorns to a smooth paste, adding a splash of water if needed.
4. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the paste for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until it smells cooked and the oil separates at the edges.
5. Scrape the paste into the pot and add the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and bay leaves.
6. Simmer, partly covered, for about 1 hour 45 minutes, until a chunk of shank yields easily to a fork.
7. Lift out the beef, let it cool a little, then slice or shred it. Strain the broth, season with salt and a pinch of sugar, and keep it hot.
8. Divide the noodles, bean sprouts, sliced potato, beef and half an egg among bowls and ladle the boiling broth over.
9. Scatter celery leaves, spring onion and fried shallots on top. Put limes, sambal and kecap manis on the table, with rice or lontong alongside.

Notes

Soto is a family of soups, not one recipe: an Indonesian university study counts at least 75 types across 22 culinary regions. The parent recipe here is a turmeric beef soto with vermicelli, a plain starting point rather than any one regional style. Soto ayam, the chicken form, has its own page.
Regional forms differ in protein and richness: Soto Betawi (Jakarta) is a rich beef soup with coconut milk, Soto Lamongan (East Java) is a turmeric-heavy chicken soup finished with koya, a savoury garlic and prawn powder, and Soto Padang (Sumatra) is a clear beef soup topped with crisp fried beef (dendeng).
Soto is eaten with steamed rice, lontong (compressed rice cake) or vermicelli, with lime, sambal and a drop of kecap manis at the table. Beef lung (paru) and other offal are traditional additions: simmer them separately until tender and slice them in.
If you cannot find candlenuts, macadamia nuts work. Ground turmeric replaces fresh at about a third of the quantity.
Make ahead: the broth is better the next day. Keep noodles, garnishes and broth in separate containers and reheat the broth to a rolling boil before serving.

Adapted from Liputan6, Soto ayam: sejarah, jenis dan resepnya and Eat Drink Asia, Global Soup Bowl: Indonesian Soto.